Technology and Science Fiction William Gibson–Neuromancer
Note: This book is long and complex–a very challenging read. If you can get through it all, great, but you don’t have to. What I want you to get out of this book is a sense of the world that Gibson has created. Read especially the first three chapters. This book was completed in 1983, meaning that it was written with the world of the late 1970s and early 1980s in mind. Do you see extrapolations from that world?
This book is credited with coining the term “cyberspace.” What role do you think science fiction can play for an engineer or someone interested in technology? Neuromancer was written forty years ago. Does it still speak to our world? In this world that Gibson creates what is the environment and nature like? How do people see the human body? What is human nature like? What is technology like? What is America like? Is this world at all attractive to you? Are there any characters you find admirable in this story? Did you like this book? Why or why not?
Note: This book can be a challenging read. This study guide can be helpful: